Improvement in machinery for forming bats for felt cloth



UNITED STATES nTnNT Erica..

THOMASB. BUTLER, OF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR FORMING BATS FOR TELT CLOTH.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. BUTLER, of Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an improvement in the mode of crossing the slivers of weft or Iilling at right angles or any other desired angle in forming bats for felt cloth and other purposes; and I do declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon.

In its nature my invention is an improvement on the invention of Levi Van I-Ioesen, Jr., patented June 27, 1829; and in principle it consists in giving to the end of one of his side aprons and the roll around which it revolves a traversing alternate motion entirely across the main or warp apron, whereby the weft is deposited from a single apron entirely across the warp, and, further, in giving to the same endof the apron and roll a lateral motion parallel with the main apron while the weft is being deposited and at such a relative and adjusted speed as may be necessary to deposit the weft at a right or any other desired angle, dispensing with one of his machines and aprons'and the lateral vibratory motion of his main or warp apron.

In its construction my improvement conf sists in attaching the roll at the end of the side apron to a movable frame or carriage running, on tracks over and parallel with the main apron and geared to move with that apron while the weft is being deposited on the warp and at such relative speed as the desired angle at which the weft is to -be laid may require7 and in arranging upon each end of the roll a pinion or small gear and upon the sides of the movable frame or carriage a.

double rack, into which the pinion meshes, whereby and by the revolution of the roll by the revolving apron an alternate traverse movement of the roll and apron across the main or warp apron is effected for the deposition of the weft; but to enable others skilled i in the art to make and. use my invention, I will proceed to describe so much ofthe original `invention as I retain and my improve ment arranged thereon, referring to the drawings, and also the mode in which the whole is operated, distinguishing thereafter what I claim as new.

A A are the dofters of the two carding machines, placed at right angles and of such width as may be required. A proper width for making cloth one and one-halt' yard Wide is from eight to nine feet.

B B are apron-drums, on which an endless apron C C revolves. The bat is formed on this apron, the Warp being received thereon from A and the weft from the endless apron b b b b, hereinafter described.

D D D is a table made of thin boards held together by battens and supported at the corners by stands from the floor. This may be made adjustable by any of the devices in use, so that the distance between the table and the traversing roll j may be increased 0r diminished at pleasure. The apron'C C slides over it and is supported by it in a horizontal plane, so that the apronb b b b mayat all times be equidistant from the apron C C While it is depositing the weft across it.

E E E E is a movable frame or carriage composed of four perpendicular posts connected at the lower part each way by crossgirts E E and one way at the top by girts E2 E2. This. frame rests on the revolving rollers F F on track-rails G G G for the purpose of easy motion back and forth. I-I II are pinions fixedon each end of a cross-shaft J, which mesh into racks I I on each side of the frame or carriage for the purpose of moving the'carriage back and forth during the operation of the machine.

K is` a gear revolving on a stud fixed in a stand attached to the floorand` meshing into the pinion II for the purpose of moving the carriage forward. Motion is given to this gear by a belt o from the apron-drum B', running around a pulley attached to the outer side of the gear. This gear has a part of its teeth cut out to permit the carriagev to be thrown back without stopping the motion of the gear.

L is another gear, also meshing into the pinion H for the purpose of throwing the carriage back when the gear K presents its toothless surface to the pinion H. The gear L is operated by the spring M, one end of which is attached to a block on the floor and the other by a connecting-arm N to the gear L. The operation of the gear L may also be aided by putting weights at proper points upon its arms or periphery. The only object soughtto be attained by this gear is the re turn of the carriage to its starting-point during the time that the gear K ceases to mesh into the pinion H.

a a is a drum or roll, which is connected by gear or band with the doffer A of the side carding-machine to move the side apron b Z1 b b. The apron h Z) b b revolves around another small roll j, the journals of which pass through a bearing e. rlhis apron also passes over two rolls c c, whose journals run in bearings which slide up and down 'in the slot d d, moved by the cords 2T for the purpose of giving tension to the apron.

g g are double racks, in which the pinions f f on each end of the roll j mesh, and which traverse the roll and side apron across the main apron as the roll is made to revolve. In the center of these double racks is a plate 7L h, under and above whichI the end of the journal of the roll j moves alternately. This plate serves to keep the pinion f in gear. A different bearing may be substituted for the movable bearing c on a working-machine made in a different manner and as shown in Fig. 2. In that ligure, which is a side view `of one of the bearings and track-plates, a is a double track-plate, which may be firmly bolted onto the inside of the carriage, acting also as a cross-girt in place of the inside slotted Wooden one shown on the drawings, Fig. l. The edges of the track-plate should be beveled off to a narrow or V surface in the center.

c2 c2 is the bearing, which is iixed between the track-plates by friction-rolls at its angles. These rolls o: are channeled on their periphery to match the beveled edges of the track-plate. The bearing should be of sufticient thickness to possess strength, but unnecessary Weight should be avoided. Between these bearings are arranged the apronroll j, two small rolls d2 d2, for supporting and guiding the apron, a small roll c, resting against the apron to retain the weft in its place, and a clipper 71:, made with blades like those used upon burring-cylinders to knock the weft. down if it should adhere to the apron and be carried back instead of running off. The several rolls resting in this bearing Will all receive their motion from the apron, as shown, except the clipper, and that may be moved by a band from the roll j. The surface speed of the clipper lo should be about four times that of the apron. The openings in these bearings for the journals of the apronroll j should be somewhat slotted perpendicularly to enable the end ot the journal to slide alternately overand under the plate h in the center of the double rack g g. (See Fig. l.)

Motion is communicated to all parts ot' the machinery from the doders of the cardingmachines. For the bands which connect the doffers With the apron-drumsts :represented in the drawings, gearingA should be substituted in the working-machines. The traveling carriage Will require to move about seven feet during the-deposition of each sliver, and

the center of the carriage shouldbefplaced at the time its movement commences about three and a half feet from the center of the side carding-machine, or rather from a line drawn from the center of the side carding-machine. It will t-hen travel during its movements three and a half feet each way from that line. In order that the apron may run Without difficulty, the side carding-machine should be placed at considerable distance from the carriage. The length of the apron is in itself no material objection. The side carding-machines may be placed in an upper story or at any desired distance on the same floor; or the apron maybe run up per-f pendicularly from the carding-machine and over rolls suspended from the ceiling, which rolls can be alternately elevated and depressed by positive motion communicated by the dofthe other the weft as they are combed in the' usual manner from the doffers. As the drum B revolves it also communicates motion to the gear K, which being properly set puts in motion the carriage E E E E, and it moves at the desired speed with the apron. Thespeed of the carriage is or may be regulated by the size of the pulleys on B or K. It' it is desired to lay the slivers precisely at right angles, the relative speed of the carriage and main apron should be the same. When an angle in either direction is desired, a dierent-sized pulley will give a more or less rapid relative speed and the weft Will be laid at a corresponding angle. The side machine may be Worked with or without a grooved dotter and the weft laid in separate sheets or continuously. A

lf any difiiculty arises from the angrooved doier is made by grooving out lon-v gitudinally a space-say four inches-of the circumference of the doffer and leaving that Without card-clothing or with the teeth knocked down into the groove, so as to take no Wool from the main cylinder, and theweft will be formed in separate sheets. If run off continuously, the sudden return of the carriage when the toothless portion of the gear K is presented to the pinion H Will separate the weft. This will require less care in adjusting the machines, and Will probably prove the best in practice. The weft is carried upon the apron b b b b by the revolution of the apron and the traverse of the apronroll j and run ott each Way upon the Warp as the roll and apron pass alternately back and forth across the carriage, the apron b b bb acting as a band upon the roll j. In this as in al1 other'cases Where a bat is formed upon an endless apron a slat apron to revolve ull-- tion, nor the arrangement or operation of the apron-drums, rolls, or aprons for receiving, conveying, or depositing the Wool, for these were al1 described in J[he patent of the said Levi Van Hoesen but I do claiml. The traveling carriage E E E E, constructed and operated in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The double rack g g and the pinion fon `the apron-roll j, or their equivalents, for

traversing the roll j across the main apron C in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

THOS. B. BUTLER.

In presence of JOHN A. WEED, EDWD. P. WEED. 

